


I Know, I Know

by donniedont



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, House Party, Kissing, M/M, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:06:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21956356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donniedont/pseuds/donniedont
Summary: Dimitri and Claude go to a house party.  Even with the promise of staying sober during it, they find themselves caught up in quite the conundrum.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 10
Kudos: 69





	I Know, I Know

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ethereally](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethereally/gifts).



> I'm finally getting through my kiss prompt backlog... this one is for Eth and based around the prompt of "A gentle kiss that descends into passion with little regard to what is happening around them." Eth, I hope I did your boy justice!

Dimitri didn’t want to drink that night. He was feeling like he was one inconvenience away from losing his tether to reality and he knew that the ominous orange Gatorade coolers in the kitchen were an easy way to fall into whatever hole his brain was hellbent on putting him in.

But he still wanted to go to this party. It fell under the category of distraction, which he needed when his mind was like this. He had to make sure that he didn’t isolate himself and having the evening be wasted.

At least Claude came with him. They were currently scoping out a place to sit, going through each room to figure out the pulse of it. There was the kitchen, which was occupied by people chatting loudly on every countertop while people played beer pong, the living room, which had music blasting too loud for them to be able to hear each other. They eventually made their way to the basement, where they found an empty couch with the ability to watch a group of people viewing muted videos on Youtube as a party mix played quietly in the background.

Dimitri sat down and Claude joining him, the couch having enough give that the two of them bumped into each other. Dimitri tried to keep his posture straight, afraid to make Claude uncomfortable with any unintended contact. 

Claude turned to him, his lips too close to Dimitri’s ear. Dimitri reminding himself to not turn his head and have their faces brush up against each other.

“Do you want me to grab you a drink?” Dimitri asked. He winced and added, “I’m sorry. I should have asked when we were upstairs…”

Claude gave a brilliant laugh. “You’re such an absentminded gentleman,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m good, actually. I’m not drinking tonight.”

Dimitri wasn’t sure if there ever was a night that Claude actually drank. The most he ever did was flit from person to person, stealing a sip before he exclaimed what he thought of the drink and went to the next one. It was another thread to add to the knotted mess that was Dimitri’s understanding of Claude.

“I know what I  _ do _ want,” Claude said. He lifted his hand and flapped it open several times.

“What?” Dimitri asked. He blinked several times before he exclaimed, “Oh!” and unzipped his jacket, pulling a can of Arizona iced tea from out of a long pocket in the inside of his jacket. 

Claude laughed and took the can from it. Dimitri could tell that there was no bite to it. Claude was never above teasing Dimitri, but it never crossed a line like other people in his life. It was a strange safety to Claude that Dimitri was always terrified to speak to out of fear that it would fall apart the moment he acknowledged it.

Claude popped the tab and Dimitri flinched. He scrambled to be present again, focusing in on Claude taking a long gulp from the can. He pulled the can away from his lips, the aluminum cracking. 

Moments like this made Dimitri wish he was a better conversationalist. He knew by now that he spoke too much, but said too little. People would get bored and he couldn’t find a way to keep them present with him, especially when he was always on the verge of losing it himself. It was never any easier with people he genuinely enjoyed the presence of.

Claude took another sip of his iced tea and observed the people watching Youtube. Claude grabbed his phone and said, “We should Chromecast weird shit to fuck with those people.

“Could we put on the guy who makes the knives out of unconventional materials?” Dimitri asked.

Claude faced him again, his lips quirked for a long moment. “Why not,” he finally said, smiling gently. He pulled up Youtube on his phone and passed it to him. “Put on your favorite.”

Dimitri took his phone, scrolling through. He chose the one in which the guy made a knife with pasta and passed the phone back to Claude. The people ahead of them were confused when the video changed, but they settled into it, chatting among themselves as they tried to figure out where the video was heading.

“So he makes knives out of weird shit?” Claude asked.

Dimitri nodded. “Yes!” he exclaimed, “It’s actually really soothing. I watch it sometimes when I want to relax.” He felt his throat tighten and he cleared his throat. “Uh, can I have a sip?”

“Oh, yeah. Here ya go,” Claude said, passing the can to him. Dimitri took a tentative sip and passed it back. Claude swirled the can in his hand, the liquid sloshing around. “Hm, we’ve just indirectly kissed.”

Dimitri blinked several times. Why would Claude bring that up? He couldn’t be sure. When they were able to converse, they ended up caught up in this dance. Claude would say something Dimitri could only assume was flirty, but there was no action behind it. They were statements he would throw out in the scant amount of space between each other and Dimitri would never know if they were invitations.

“I mean, I don’t mind,” Dimitri said.

“Oh, me either,” Claude said, laughing, “Just… I dunno.” He looked like he wanted to continue the thought, but a couple stomped over, falling into the empty spot on the couch. Claude grunted, crashing his body into Dimitri’s. Dimitri raised his hands, holding his breath until Claude relaxed against him. 

“Is this okay?” Dimitri asked, “I can sit on the floor, or…”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Claude said. His cheek was resting against Dimitri’s shoulder. He took another sip and passed it off to Dimitri. Dimitri accepted it, trying to find a way to comfortably drink from it without pushing Claude away. 

“Another indirect kiss,” Claude noted.

Dimitri could see the couple’s faces press close in the corner of his vision. A soft smacking sound began to float over and Dimitri quickly looked down, feeling his cheeks warm up. “Perhaps there are more salacious things happening on this couch.”

Claude laughed. “Mr. Mitya’s got the jokes.” He lifted up his head and Dimitri was certain he was visibly blushing. He wasn’t sure when Claude captured his attention like this. It was always during moments like this and before he knew it he was consumed by how bright his eyes were even in the low light, the playful smirk that seemed to rest naturally on his face, how he would nervously play with the bead of the braid that dangled along his cheek. 

Sometimes Dimitri wanted to speak to him about these observations. Other times he wondered what it would be like to close the gap and kiss him. Even with these temptations, he knew that he had to swallow them down. Claude was one of his few friends that he didn’t already know before he started school. He couldn’t lose Claude because of his own selfishness.

Even then, he couldn’t stop hearing the couple kiss. One of them had hand tangled in the other’s hair. He imagined what it would be like to run his own fingers through Claude’s hair. If he would like Claude’s fingers through his own.

“What?” Claude asked.

Dimitri took a shaky breath. Claude was so close. He knew that most people would consider him too close, especially if he was just a friend. 

But that wasn’t true. Claude was not just a friend. Dimitri knew better than to reduce Claude to such a level. He was so much more than that, even if he wasn’t sure how else to expand upon it. He took a shaky breath and tilted his face toward Claude’s, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. He stayed close, afraid to pull away far enough to see Claude’s face. What he didn’t expect was Claude to tentatively press his lips over Dimitri’s and a pit of longing crack open in him. He frantically kissed back, unsure where to put his hands. He decided to just place them on Claude’s shoulders, Claude’s hands curled up between the two of them, including the can wedged between their chests. Dimitri opened his mouth, having to kiss him twice before Claude opened his as well, their kisses deep and curious. Dimitri sucked at Claude’s lip and Claude sighed, the sound enough for Dimitri to back away, his eyes wide as he wiped his lips.

“I’m sorry,” Dimitri said. Whatever opened in him was nothing but emptiness. 

“I…” Claude started.

“I’m so sorry,” Dimitri said.

“ _ Fuck _ ,” Claude hissed and Dimitri bolted. He rushed up the stairs, refusing to look back. He was able to get out the door and on the porch by the time he felt someone’s hand on his shoulder.

Dimitri turned around and saw Claude standing in front of him. His green eyes were unreadable and Dimitri could feel himself wanting to run again.

He wasn’t sure if he took a step, but Claude said, “Don’t,” and Dimitri found himself locked in place.

“I’m sorry,” Dimitri repeated, “That will never happen again. It can never happen again.”

Claude sighed. “So you kiss someone without asking them and then determine whether or not there’s a second round? I didn’t realize the world revolves around you.”

Dimitri tilted his head. “What?” he asked.

“I’m just saying that I didn’t hate it,” Claude said. He quickly looked away and added, “Maybe, uh. This wasn’t the best place for it, but… I didn’t mind.”

“Oh,” Dimitri said. He felt his shoulders lower and he realized how much tension he was carrying in them. “Well, I’m glad.” He slipped his hands in his pockets, shuffling from side to side. “Ah, would you like to go back to the dorm? I’m a little… too embarrassed to go back inside.”   


Claude nodded. Dimitri searched for any indicator of inconvenience in his tone or body language, but there was nothing he could find. “Let’s go,” Claude said, waiting expectantly at Dimitri’s side.

Dimitri began walking, Claude keeping an even pace. He brought the can away from his chest and tilted it from side to side. “Here, you can kill this,” Claude said, passing the can off to him.

Dimitri grabbed it from him and held it with both his hands. He finished it off in one long gulp, wishing he could have tasted the sweetness the tea probably left in Claude’s mouth.


End file.
